Venables is likely either to go to ITV as a full-time television analyst or even become a late contender for the Southampton post, although they have offered the former England manager a part-time coaching role next season, which would enable him to continue his television work.The West Ham managing director, Paul Aldridge, put on a brave face yesterday, saying: "It looks like Steve won't be coming after all. We were due to meet him again today, but he has told us he's going back to talk to Middlesbrough. It's disappointing, but a factor must be that he doesn't have to move his family down to London."The Hammers have turned down a £12m Aston Villa bid for Frank Lampard, their unsettled England midfielder. The offer, some £2.5m more than Villa paid for their record signing, Juan Pablo Angel, fell around £2m short of West Ham's valuation."While we reluctantly accept that Frank wishes to leave, the price must be right," Aldridge said. "We will be sticking by our valuation of a player who, we believe, will go on to be an England regular in the not too distant future."Leeds have also tabled a bid for Lampard thought to be £7m with their manager, David O'Leary, wanting him to compete for a midfield place with Olivier Dacourt and David Batty.Paul Merson, Villa's player of the year for the second season running, criticised the club yesterday for paying David Ginola more than they are paying him. Of Ginola's reported £35,000 a week, Merson said: "I'm on a lot less than him and it can't be justified.
I don't know whether it's being greedy or selfish, but I'm not happy that he's on so much more than me."Crystal Palace said yesterday that they had rejected an approach from Merson to manage the First Division club.. The Professional Footballers' Association has expressed its concern at clubs recruiting non-English players for their youth teams. Arsenal are one such club who have spread their net worldwide in the hope of attracting top talent, investing heavily in their Academy sides, and it is paying dividends. The Professional Footballers' Association has expressed its concern at clubs recruiting non-English players for their youth teams.
Arsenal are one such club who have spread their net worldwide in the hope of attracting top talent, investing heavily in their Academy sides, and it is paying dividends. At Blackburn on Tuesday night, the Gunners became only the fourth side in the history of the FA Youth Cup to retain the trophy. Sebastian Svard (from Denmark), Moritz Volz (Germany), Carlin Itonga (Congo), Jeremie Aliadi? (France) and Israel (Brazil) have all figured heavily in their campaign.Arsenal are the benchmark at the moment with their foreign policy but the PFA's deputy chief executive, Brendon Batson, admits he is worried about the development. "It is a concern for us and it is a global concern that clubs are throwing their net far and wide in a bid to try and get the best youngsters," he said."We can't really prevent European players coming here in the current climate you have to allow freedom of movement although there are new proposals for no transfers under the age of 18. But we are worried that there can be exploitation of youngsters, say coming from Africa or eastern bloc countries, by unscrupulous agents Not for a minute am I saying that is happening at Arsenal. But these boys have to be protected."Batson believes the future of English football would be much brighter if locally-born players were not squeezed out. Arsenal certainly have a core of English players, including the striker Jermaine Pennant and the captain Ben Chorley. But such is their ambition there is a sense of unease about their policy.Batson said: "Each country has a duty to develop its own talent I think this is what the supporters want to see as well.
